1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing personalized connections with a communication network.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently, subscribers to a communications network service can establish a connection between their terminals and the network via a network access link. The network access link can be a wired (multiple twisted pair cable, coaxial cable, optical fiber cable) or wireless (radio frequency, optical wavelength) link to the network. Because of recent improvements in the speed and availability of network access links between the network and the subscriber""s terminal, such as gigabit Ethernet, DSL, cable modems, digital cable modulation, radio, over-the-air optical links, and direct broadcast satellite transmission, digital terrestrial broadcast TV, many new types of terminals have been developed to take advantage of these high speed links. For example, subscriber terminal devices, such as WebTV(trademark) set-top boxes, digital set-top audio/video decoders, hard disk-based personal digital video recorders, screen equipped web phones, voice and video telephone sets, streaming audio and video media players, integrated intelligent digital television receivers, thin-client network computers, PCS wireless Internet phones, mobile satellite receivers, or GPS navigator terminals can permit a subscriber to access and communicate over the network and utilize the high speed access links.
As the number and availability of terminal types used by subscribers increases, and the number and types of voice, video and data information communications and entertainment service offerings increases, so too will a need for the subscriber to become more knowledgeable as to the use of each of these new terminals and services. Furthermore, subscribers are becoming more mobile and switching between terminals at different locations, such as home Internet, digital television or video telephone terminals and hotel Internet, digital television, or video telephone terminals, and/or a mobile wireless Internet PCS phone terminal, or mobile satellite Internet receiver. The mobile subscribers will need to be able to customize terminal configuration, network connection, and service choices as to their preference and what they are willing to purchase, without having to proceed through an elaborate customization process at each use location, whether fixed or mobile.
Accordingly, there exists a need for providing a subscriber with a method of uniformly customizing the use of varied terminals and services in accordance with a subscriber""s preferences and purchased entitlements. Additionally, such a method also supports the ability of a network operator/service provider to offer either separate or integrated billing for multiple services and to control the authorization of entitlements commensurate with an amount that the subscriber has purchased.
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for establishing a personalized connection with a communications network and access to varied levels of network capabilities and services from a variety of different terminals and/or ports connected with the network. The network to which the present invention pertains includes both wired and wireless networks regardless of physical medium, including, but not limited to, multiple twisted pair cable, coaxial cable, optical fiber, radio, over-the-air optical wavelength, terrestrial broadcast radio or television, satellite transmission, or a combination thereof.
The variety of different terminals to which the present invention pertains is any terminal device which allows a subscriber to connect to and use a network""s capacity, features and services, and access (and copy) information or program content available through the network. Such terminals include, but are not limited to, Internet over TV set-top boxes, digital set-top audio/video decoders, personal digital video recorders, screen equipped web phones, voice and video telephone sets, streaming audio and video media players, integrated intelligent digital television receivers, personal computers, thin-client network computers, PCS wireless Internet phones, mobile satellite receivers, GPS receivers, or automated teller machines.
Subscribers to network services can be provided with a unique subscriber ID. Based on the subscriber ID together with any other personal information input by the subscriber at the subscriber terminal, a network or network customizing device can access a subscriber profile that includes the subscriber""s preferences in order to personalize the network connection. The subscriber profile can also be used to authorize any service entitlements which the subscriber has purchased and will be billed for.
The types of information contained in the subscriber profile include, but are not limited to, subscriber preferences and service entitlements related to long distance, local or wireless phone calling plans (e.g., rates and peak/off-peak hours, calling circles), communication link attributes (e.g., speed, guaranteed information rate), television programming (e.g., premium encrypted or basic unencrypted programs, programming genres, program time-shifting), information resources, the type of network the user wishes to use, communication protocols corresponding to particular networks, multimedia content access (e.g., Internet or intranet site access, software downloads) and any rights to copy such content. The subscriber""s profile information can either contain the types of aforementioned information directly or it can contain locator information pointing to one or more storage locations throughout the network where the types of aforementioned information can be found.
The subscriber profile can also store the subscriber""s preferences and entitlements in a manner that is dependent upon a type of subscriber terminal. For example, user interfaces and feature sets for the suite of subscriber terminal types to which the subscriber has subscribed (e.g., the general look and feel of how the subscriber terminal takes in, displays and reacts to the subscriber""s inputs and operation, channel tuning/program guide on a TV set-top box, URL or e-mail preferences on an Internet terminal or computer, features on a cell phone or wired phone, picture resolution or audio quality on a video phone).
The subscriber profile can also be used by the network service provider for billing purposes to generate separate or integrated itemized bills for the complete suite of services according to service and terminal type, usage, and entitlements. The subscriber or service provider can access certain information fields of the particular subscriber profile to update or revise. The subscriber profile can be automatically updated.
Information contained in or pointed to in the subscriber profile can also include billing account, credit card number and transaction history, or an e-wallet account and associated transaction history to facilitate personalized e-commerce transactions, including automatic bill payment on the subscriber""s own network services account.
Once such a subscriber profile has been stored, it may be used to customize the terminals, the connection between the terminals and the network, the type of network to which the terminal is connected, and/or the services the subscriber desires. The customization can occur, at any subscriber terminal location where the subscriber may travel and access the network, regardless of whether such access is wired or wireless, using any subscriber terminal type for which the subscriber is entitled.
Storage of the subscriber profile information may reside in a single point or be distributed throughout multiple points in the network, within the subscriber terminal, or within a device in the subscriber""s personal possession (e.g., a smart card), or a combination of these.
As an example of operation, assume that a subscriber""s home has one or more terminals (can be same or different terminal types) connected to the network. Each of the terminals has been customized by the subscriber, and the subscriber""s preferences, entitlements, e-wallet transactions, payments and billing information have been stored in the subscriber""s profile or storage locations pointed to by the profile information. Subsequently, the subscriber travels across the country where the subscriber rents a hotel room. The hotel room also has one or more terminals, which correspond to the types of terminals in the subscriber""s house, connected to the network. Once the subscriber is in the hotel room, the subscriber may quickly and conveniently configure each of the one or more terminals the same as the corresponding home terminals in accordance with the subscriber""s stored profile. This configuration is initiated by entering the subscriber""s ID information into a terminal or ID reader device associated with the terminal. The subscriber ID information can be entered by the subscriber typing a password, inserting or swiping a smart card or magnetic strip card, or by scanning a fingerprint or eye retina, voice pattern recognition, or by the use of some other personal identification recognition reader device coupled to or integrated within the subscriber terminal.
The present invention may further provide a plurality of preferred or entitled subscriber terminal user interfaces or functionality attributes within the subscriber profile that can be transferred to said subscriber""s terminal for use, based on the type of transaction or session invoked by the subscriber. For example, if the subscriber is using a terminal connected with a telephone network, such as an automatic teller machine (ATM), then, based on this bank-type of transaction and the subscriber""s ID information, the subscriber""s ATM interface would be displayed for the subscriber to use while making the transaction. The subscriber would then operate and interact with the ATM through the subscriber""s personalized interface. A subsequent subscriber using the same ATM terminal can later interact with the ATM through a different personalized ATM interface or a default interface of the ATM terminal.
As another example, if the subscriber is using a terminal, such as a TV audio/video decoder set-top box, connected with a video delivery network at a friend""s house, based on this entertainment, home shopping or e-commerce type of subscriber session a personalized interface can be provided. In this example, based on the subscriber""s ID information, and the subscriber""s profile, the subscriber""s customized programming guide, programming entitlements or home shopping purchase rights e-wallet interface could be displayed and activated by the subscriber. As a result, the subscriber could watch his or her favorite TV programs or special events or make home shopping purchases on their own account while using a friend""s terminal.
As yet another example, if the subscriber is using a terminal, such as a computer or Internet terminal, connected with a high speed data network at an airport, then, based on this browsing or remote access type of session, the subscriber""s ID information and the subscriber""s profile, the subscriber can access a restricted intranet or virtual private network and receive restricted content. In all of the above examples, the appropriate usage billing rates, if applicable, could automatically be charged to the subscriber""s account which is linked to the subscriber""s stored profile.
As a further example, if the subscriber is using a terminal, such as a computer, connected to, or having access to a variety of networks, such as cable TV, telecommunications, DSL, and/or Internet networks, the terminal may select and use a particular network based on the subscriber""s preferences. If the subscriber wishes to use the terminal for watching a television show, then the terminal can be connected to the cable television network to provide the subscriber with video programming. Alternatively, if the subscriber wishes to use the terminal for accessing the Internet, then the terminal may be connected to an Internet network such as the World Wide Web, or to a DSL which is directly connected to an Internet service provider (ISP). Accordingly, the terminal may connect with a preferred network based on the particular use of the terminal and a subscriber""s network preferences.
The present invention further provides a method for personalizing ports of a network, which may then be used by the subscriber or the subscriber""s terminal to connect with the network. Ports can include any point at which a communication signal may be transmitted into or out of the network. Some examples of ports can include telephone RJ-11 jacks, coaxial cable xe2x80x9cFxe2x80x9d connector jacks, RJ-45 ethernet connections, fiber optic connections, radio frequency air interfaces and infrared links as used in the types previously described with reference to the high speed access links.